In recent years, cellular and/or personal communication service type mobile devices have emerged as a must-have appliance among mobile professionals and consumers alike, growing in popularity every year since they were first introduced. The public has come to accept that mobile communication service enhances business and personal communications and may contribute to personal security. Consequently, mobile communication is becoming increasingly popular.
Manufacturers have developed wireless devices, such as cellular telephones, with increasing processing power, fast approaching the computing capabilities of devices such as personal computers and personal digital assistants (“PDAs”). Because of this increased processing power, mobile stations actually can be programmed to perform a wide range of application functions, for example, related to tools for productivity enhancement, gaming, entertainment, and the like.
Although originally designed and deployed to offer voice-grade telephone services, as the technologies have developed, the mobile stations and the networks that provide service through them have offered an expanding array of data communication services and other related services. For example a Short Message Service (SMS) application allows users of mobile devices to send and receive text messages; and more recently a MMS application allows users of mobile devices to send and receive multimedia content, such as text, graphics, digital photographs, audio files and video clips, via non-real-time transmission.
SMS is a communication protocol that allows the interchange of short text messages between mobile devices. The SMS technology has facilitates the development and growth of text messaging. SMS as used on modern mobile devices was originally defined as sending messages of up to 160 characters, to and from GSM mobile devices. Since then, support for the service has expanded to include alternative mobile standards such as American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks and Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), as well as satellite and landline networks. Most SMS messages are mobile-to-mobile text messages, though the standard supports other types of messaging as well.
MMS is a store and forward messaging service/standard that allows mobile devices to send/receive messages that may include any combination of multimedia objects (images, audio, video, rich text, etc.). MMS is the evolution of SMS, which is a text-only messaging technology for mobile networks. MMS has been designed to at least work with mobile packet data services such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and 1x/Evolution Data Only (EVDO).
MMS-enabled mobile devices enable subscribers to compose and send messages with one or more multimedia parts. Multimedia parts may include text, images, audio, and video. Furthermore, MMS allows the sending of multiple media parts in a single message, as well as the ability to send a single message to multiple recipients.
An example of how a MMS message can be sent and received between two compatible MMS mobile devices is detailed below. However, it is understood that the network operator may vary the sequence described below.
Using a MMS compatible mobile device, the originating subscriber may create a MMS message, either using a built-in or accessory camera or using images and sounds stored previously in the mobile device (and/or possibly downloaded from a web site or sent in an email). The mobile subscriber may personalize the message by adding text, a sound clip, voice to the image or any combination of the aforementioned applications. The MMS message is subsequently sent to a Multimedia Message Service Center (MMSC) for delivery to another mobile subscriber. If the recipient of the MMS message has a MMS compatible mobile device, then a MMS message notification will appear on the recipient's mobile device alerting the recipient of a new message. Even if the recipient mobile device is not switched on, the MMS message will be stored within the operator's network and subsequently sent to the recipient as soon as they switch on their mobile device. In a non-roaming case, the subscriber may even allow a MMS message to be downloaded automatically to their mobile device and then he would be notified and could see the MMS message immediately. Furthermore, a number of MMS messages can be stored in the subscriber's mobile device and reviewed or forwarded at a later date. When the MMS message is retrieved from the operator's network, the picture message will open on the screen, text may appear below the image and the audio may begin to play automatically. However, if the MMS message is sent to a non-compatible MMS mobile device, then the user will receive a SMS message possibly stating: “You have been sent a picture message!” The recipient may then be given a website address, and possibly a username/password on which they can view the MMS message using a computer or the like.
As demonstrated above, traditional MMS allows subscribers unlimited Person-to-Person (P2P) messaging flexibility that did not exist in conventional SMS deployment. Although P2P communications are the most common use today, MMS messaging may also be used to obtain content from a server of a third party content provider, such as a value added service provider (VSAP).
The added flexibility offered by MMS has brought with it added risk, particularly to minors. Prior to MMS messaging, minors were exposed to various types of multimedia content through television and/or computer applications. Through computer and television related applications, minors often are able to gain access to content that is deemed inappropriate or dangerous. Existing tools allow adults to work in connection with internet providers and television service providers to block or limit access of such content by minors.
In order to control a minor's access, the television industry screens programming and provides an age-based rating and content descriptors that indicate to the adult that the programming may be inappropriate for viewing by minors. Similarly, internet service providers may identify certain websites which likely contain content that is inappropriate for minors. Based on this information, parents may screen or block inappropriate content and thereby prevent access by the minor using various tools including the V-chip technology and filtering software. In such systems, the providers are primarily responsible for identifying the potentially harmful content. Doing so requires identification and classification of websites, television programs, or the like for use by the adult. Internet content and television programming are publicly available and accessible to service providers. Because the content is likely to reach a large number of customers, identifying inappropriate content is not overly burdensome.
Unlike internet and television applications, traditional MMS messages are private and sent from individual to individual instead of to the public as a whole. As such, content review by service providers would require review of private information. Further, the MMS content to be monitored grows exponentially and cannot be effectively monitored by the service provider alone. Still further, traditional MMS allows minors to receive multimedia content on a device that is traditionally not accessed by any adults associated with the minor. MMS messaging thus becomes an ideal mode of access and communication with minors for inappropriate content and even for predators and others who wish to contact the minor without supervision of an adult.
Hence, a need to monitor the multimedia content received by a minor via MMS messaging on his mobile device exists. Further, a need for a means by which a parent or guardian may monitor, control, and block multimedia content intended for a minor also exists.
For example, it would be desirable to provide adults a way to control access to multimedia content viewed by minors. It may be further desirable to prevent inappropriate or harmful multimedia content from reaching minors. Additionally, it is desirable to allow adults to monitor multimedia content viewed or listened to by a minor and to determine and control the source of such information.